RESHORING CASE

Smartphoto

Company details
Code: 
Smartphoto
Company name: 
Smartphoto
Company country: 
Belgium
Number of employees: 
100
Sector: 
C - Manufacturing
Sector detail: 
C18 - Printing and reproduction of recorded media
Sub-sectors: 
C18.1 - Printing and service activities related to printing
Reshoring details
Reshoring announcement date: 
24/01/2017
Starting implementation date: 
June, 2016
End of Implementation : 
March, 2017
Reshored to: 
Belgium
Location of affected unit(s): 
Wetteren
Location code: 
BE232
Reshored business function: 
Production
Partial or Total reshoring: 
Partial
Reshoring governance mode: 
In house (in own facilities)
Estimated job gains: 
12
Reasons for reshoring: 
Automation of production process
Firm's global reorganization
Case narrative: 

Smartphoto is a Belgian company, specialised in photo e-commerce. The headquarters of the company are set in Wettered, the northern part of Belgium. In 2016, Smartphoto acquired a Dutch personal photo company Webprint. This acquisition was a catalyst for relocation of Webprint from the Netherlands to Belgium, where the company is expected to benefit from a fully automated process. Some 50 jobs will be lost but the CEO of the company is confident that at least a dozen of jobs can be created. As result, the acquisition will have a negative effect on Smartphoto’s profits in 2016 but they are expected to increase as synergy effects take place in 2017.

Sources: 

De standaard, 24/01/2017

Offshoring details
Offshoring date: 
2016
Offshoring location: 
Netherlands
Offshoring governance mode: 
In house (in own facilities)
Offshoring entry mode: 
Wholly owned
Reason for offshoring: 
Merger and Acquisition
Host country geographical area: 
Western Europe